Hello darlings, my most sincere apologies for the painful 6 months of silence. Basically, this chapter just really didn't want to be written; I simply couldn't find a plot that didn't make me cringe or remotely satisfied me. However now, the chapter is complete, and I'm well back on track with knowing what's coming next, so hopefully I will be publishing every weekend again. :) So without any further delay, read!

Hermione put down her quill and looked up at her friend, not believing what she just heard.
"You, and Malfoy. Friends."

Luna had expected this, so she blinked before she replied, "Well, yes. Aren't you friends with Lavender now?" In a tone as if she had just suggested a minor weather change. Ginny's eyes grew wide as she tried to stifle a loud laugh.

"That's different! Besides," Hermione looked over both shoulders quickly before looking back at her friend. "We most certainly are NOT friends." She hissed. "I just thought she could use ... Less hostility. She's having a really rough time." She crossed both her arms and legs, pushing her bottom lip forward slightly.

"But Hermione, so is Draco. I know you've had your differences, but he really has changed. This war has been as hard for him as it has for us." She said gently.

"Of course it has." Hermione scoffed sarcastically under her breath as she scratched at her left forearm absent-mindedly. As she noticed what she was doing, she hastily pulled down the sleeve of her cardigan, shooting a quick glare at Luna, as if to say "I rest my case."
The three girls sat in silence on the grass opposite the Black Lake for a few moments.

Slowly but surely, the climate had begun warming up, and temperatures that weekend had gotten high enough to spend an afternoon outside comfortably; the sun even shone through the thick cloud bank once in a while, casting an almost summery glow across the grounds.
Luna pulled at the wisps of grass around her when the silence persisted. She glanced over at her friends occasionally, but they were both preoccupied with creating their own little piles of greenery. She sighed quietly and got up.

"Where're you going?" Ginny asked.

"To the kitchen. The thestrals have just had foals, and I haven't been to see them in quite a while anyway." Luna wiggled her fingers lazily to her friends and turned to go, but not before catching a quick glimpse of the colour flushing out of Hermione's cheeks at the mention of the creatures that were once invisible to her.

That evening at dinner as she looked over to the Slytherin table, Luna noticed that not only had she not seen Draco all day, but as she saw him now, he looked awfully worn. His hair was untidily tousled and his usual smart attire must have been tossed aside this morning and traded for a pair of faded jeans and a baggy, emerald green hooded jumper. He was slumped listlessly over his empty plate, not paying any attention to the wittering Pansy sitting opposite him.
So it's true, Luna thought. She'd heard euphoric and excited whispers in the corridors all day, but she knew how quickly minuscule rumours became incredible, juicy gossip and tragic drama amongst the girls at Hogwarts, so she chose not to pay any attention to it.
She decided that if she managed to get a moment with him alone, she would try and cheer him up a little. Of course, this was easier said than done. In the rumour mill, she had also heard that Astoria thought Draco was cheating on her with Luna, too blinded by a jealous rage to see reason. So Luna would have to be careful.

"Harry, I'd like to ask you a favour, if you don't mind." Luna tapped her friend on the shoulder before he had the opportunity to disappear to the Gryffindor common room after dinner.

"Sure, Luna, what's up?" he replied, slightly tentative. Luna's 'favours' tended to be of a wonderfully weird, or somewhat experimental nature.

"Harry, I need to borrow the Marauder's Map," she blurted quickly. Harry opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

"That's it?" he asked slowly. "Can I ask-"

"Harry I'm dreadfully sorry but I am in a bit of a hurry. Could I tell you about it tomorrow?" she peered over her shoulder, seeing that the Great Hall was virtually empty by now.

"Ermm, okay. Yeah, sure." He shrugged, somewhat perplexed at Luna's urgency. He pulled the yellowed parchment out of his robe pocket and repeated to her the instructions he was told by Fred & George, just to be sure, although there were few of his closest friends who didn't know how to use and disguise it by now.

"Just, you know, be careful." He half-smiled as she tucked the map out of sight in her own pocket.

"Of course." She smiled. "Bye, Harry," she waved as she walked down the main stairwell. "Thank you!"She called back up, as Harry her quick-paced steps fade, and he turned on his heel with a puzzled grin to head to the Gryffindor tower.

Luna scanned the parchment in her hands, but couldn't see Draco's name anywhere. He wasn't in the Slytherin common room, the library; he'd left the Great Hall quite a while ago and there were no signs of movement down on the Quidditch pitch or anywhere else on the grounds. Determined she wasn't looking hard enough, Luna spent the next five minutes holding the parchment inches away from her nose, until she finally spotted his pacing footsteps on the outskirts f the Forbidden Forest by the muddy banks of the Black Lake.

"Mischief managed." She concluded in a hushed tone, and replaced the map in her robe pocket with a smile on her face.

Draco stood at the edge of the water, his bare toes beginning to turn a pale blue in the low temperature.

"Get lost." He slurred as he heard a gentle rustle of leaves behind him. Luna pushed aside a branch but remained where she was standing. He was standing with his back to her, facing the lakea. She noticed a half-empty bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand.

"You're drunk." She said, matter-of-factly. At the sound of her voice, Draco turned around, a little too quickly, losing his balance for just a millisecond.

"Oh; sorry Luna..." his voice was nonchalant. "...thought you were somebody else." He mumbled as he stumbled slowly towards the large rock just up from the shore and letting himself drop onto it. After a brief moment of silence, she came and sat down next to him. Without lifting his gaze from the rising moon just above the horizon, he stretched out his arm sideways, offering the bottle of burgundy liquid to Luna. She noticed his hand was trembling lightly, so she took the bottle, unclasping his fingers gently and placed it behind her on a flat part of the rock.

"I'm sorry about your girlfriend, Draco." She said after a long moment of silence.

He looked at her, his pale eyes framed by puffy, dark red circles, his expression vacant. Luna laid her hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. At the gesture he glanced at his shoulder and felt his eyes begin to burn up and his slight blurring. He quickly turned his face away, staring at the ground as he sniffed audibly and ran his sleeve across his face. He cleared his throat loudly to compose himself.

"Forget it, it's over and done." He shrugged hard as he turned to face Luna again, the motion shaking off her hand.

"I can leave, if you'd rather be alone." She suggested, her head tilted slightly in question. As he didn't respond, she laid her hand over his and gave it one last gentle squeeze before sliding off the rock to take her leave.

"Don't." He croaked. Draco took hold of her hand. "...stay; just a bit." Luna turned to see desperation in his eyes, greatly amplified by the excessive alcohol he'd consumed. Silently she sighed and then nodded, seating herself at his side again before she threaded her arm through the crook of his elbow.

"You'll be alright." She murmured in her reassuring tone as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Draco inhaled deeply, his body shaking as he tried to steady himself. He could smell a sweet, spicy fragrance when he rested his head on Luna's. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, lingering in the moment of tranquillity.

Just then, a piercing, rage-filled scream came from among the darkness of the trees. And before either of them could react, a flash blinded them both.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

So as I said, this is probably the only plot I came up with that I liked, but I would really love to hear what you thought, so pleasepleaseplease do review, and of course subscribe & favorite if you like it!